Chief Secretary Punjab Yousaf Naseem Khokhar on Thursday warned the officers against negligence in campaign against price-hike, saying that timely redress of consumers' complaints about profiteering and hoarding be ensured as no laxity would be tolerated in this regard.

He was reviewing steps being taken to tackle artificial price-hike in the province. The Chief Secretary said that a check on demand and supply of commodities should also be kept besides monitoring their prices and crackdown on profiteers, hoarders and those creating artificial dearness should also be scaled up throughout the province. He said instructions have been issued to the administrative secretaries to conduct regular visits of districts to review measures being taken for controlling prices, adding that special squads also be constituted to improve mechanism of monitoring. He mentioned that "it is responsibility of the government to provide relief to people and no compromise can be made on this important matter". The Chief Secretary also issued orders for launching a crackdown on adulterators in the province. Instead of small shopkeepers, a strict check be kept on those wholesalers who are involved in black-marketing, he added.

Taking notice of reports about sale of wheat flour higher than the price fixed by the government in Rawalpindi, the Chief Secretary said that availability of kitchen items especially flour, sugar and ghee would be ensured at the fixed rates in any case. He also reviewed progress on starting farmer markets at tehsil level and home delivery system in five big cities to ensure availability of eatables at fixed prices in the province.

The Secretary Agriculture Department speaking on the occasion said that farmers markets have been made functional in 30 fruit and vegetable markets in different districts where farmers can directly sell vegetables, fruits and similar commodities without involvement of a middle man.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019